Eurotopics.net

In Iran, the influential secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has been killed in an airstrike. The fate of the supreme leader also remains unclear: Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen since the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The media ask whether the Iranian regime can survive if its leadership continues to be eliminated by Israeli and US attacks.

The US Department of Defense also relies on artificial intelligence in war, collaborating with companies such as xAI. The Pentagon recently blacklisted the AI developer Anthropic after the company refused to make its technologies fully available for military purposes. Commentators examine potential applications and risks.

Simon Gardner, a journalist for Reuters news agency, has published a lengthy report which claims to reveal the true identity of street artist Banksy. Fans have reacted angrily online, saying that anonymity is part of Bansky's artwork. While some commentators agree, others are in favour of the unmasking.

Simona Mohamsson, leader of the Swedish Liberals, and Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), have announced their intention to form a coalition government. This shift in policy ahead of September's general elections is a bone of contention within the Liberal Party.

US President Donald Trump has demanded that Nato member states take action to secure the Strait of Hormuz, warning that otherwise the future of the alliance looked "very bad". His appeal has found little support in Europe. EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas stressed that "This is not our war", and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasised that the war with Iran was not a matter for Nato as a defence alliance. The media take stock.